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Also by Jonah Lehrer:

How We Decide, January 2010
Hardcover
How We Decide, February 2009
Hardcover
Proust Was a Neuroscientist, September 2008
Hardcover
Proust Was a Neuroscientist, November 2007
Hardcover

HOW WE DECIDE
By: Jonah Lehrer

Mariner Books
January 2010
On Sale: January 14, 2010
320 pages
ISBN: 0547247990
EAN: 9780547247991
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction

Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate or we "blink" and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind’s black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they’re discovering that this is not how the mind works.Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason—and the precise mix depends on the situation. The trick is to determine when to lean on which part of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.

Jonah Lehrer arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of "deciders"—from airplane pilots and hedge fund investors to serial killers and poker players. Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?

Media Buzz

On Point - June 13, 2011
Marketplace - PRI - December 9, 2010
Fresh Air - NPR - January 22, 2010